The present invention relates to a gaming, betting and/or entertainment machine, in particular a coin- and/or cash-operable gaming or betting machine, comprising a housing, a data processing unit accommodated in the housing, at least one display device for displaying game and/or entertainment signals, and an operating means for machine operation, which is disposed on the housing.
A gaming machine as mentioned above is known for instance from WO 2005/041139 A1 or DE 200 00 990 U1. While the last-mentioned DE 200 00 990 U1 discloses a reel-spinning gaming machine, in which the fortune reels bearing the symbols are spinning in a display field made of glass, the first-mentioned WO 2005/041139 A1 discloses a monitor machine, in which the display device comprises two monitors disposed one on top of the other, which are inclined with respect to each other at an obtuse angle. In such gaming machines, the machine housing regularly is formed as cabinet, wherein the display device is arranged in the upper half of the cabinet-like housing, while in the lower portion of the housing the data processing unit or control means for machine control and possibly a payout means for paying out the winnings of a game are accommodated. In a middle housing below the display device, the operating means regularly is provided, which is connected with the control means and beside the function keys for machine control can also include money or cash value input means. It is known to provide the cabinet-like machine housing with a door which can be swivelled about an upright axis, in order to gain access to the components disposed inside the housing (cf. WO 2005/041139).
Furthermore, it is known from EP 15 22 978 A1 to accommodate the money input unit with banknote reader in a separate housing compartment, which can laterally be screwed to the main housing. In a manner known per se, the main housing accommodates the data processing unit for machine control in its lower portion and the display device of the machine in an upper portion. Between the two, the operating panel for game control likewise is provided on the main housing in a manner known per se. The separate accommodation of the money input unit allows to provide the same only if necessary, but to completely omit the same when the machine is formed without money input unit.
Such gaming machines are, however, capable of improvement in several respects. On the one hand, in known gaming or entertainment machines it is relatively-difficult to individually configure the machine corresponding to the wishes of the customer. In particular, the known machines have little. flexibility as regards the display device and the money output and/or input device. The cut-outs in the upper half of the machine housing firmly specify the arrangement of the display means, such as monitors or displays. In the gaming machine known from WO 2005/041139, for instance, it is not easily possible to replace one of the two large monitors provided there, which are inclined with respect to each other at an obtuse angle, by a display field for spinning game reels. On the other hand, it would be desirable to improve the maintenance and repair friendliness of the machine. If a defect occurs for instance in the vicinity of the display device, the entire machine must be replaced so far or the display device must be removed on the spot with great effort. Furthermore, it would be advantageous to improve the transportability of the bulky machines.